Rose of Midgar
by Noacat
Summary: [AU][AeriSeph] It is a well known fact that change is inevitable. The life of one young girl would change completely in the space of one day. This particular girl was unprepared for what fate had in store for her.
1. Days of Wine and Roses

It is a well known fact that change is inevitable. In the long span of human history nothing is so constant but for that one fact. Things change. Times change. Nothing stays the same, no matter how hard we wish for it to.

The life of one young girl would change completely in the space of one day. And like so many others in her position, she was left in the wake of this change confused and bereft of good reason. Perhaps it was the unwelcome circumstance. Maybe it was the manner of telling. Either way, this particular girl was unprepared for what fate had in store for her.

Aeris Louisa Gast was a simple girl of simple means. To say it that way would seem that she was unfortunate and it wouldn't be entirely untrue. She wasn't a rich girl and though she was far from plain looking, she was in manner a very simple person. This in and of itself isn't a crime. Many would say that it was a gift to take such pleasure in the simple beauties of life. So few of us have time for such things in this day and age, and Aeris was one of the very few who indulged herself fully in this regard. None of this made her unfortunate.

What did make her unfortunate were a series of circumstances that built upon each other made for a most unfavorable collusion of fate. These circumstances could have been avoided had Aeris had better connections and parents that had better prepared her for the future. This was if they thought of her future at all. She was burdened by irrevocably silly and irresponsible parents, who though they loved her thought only of themselves and their own needs. It is a sin, they say, to heap dishonor upon your mother and father. But what is one to do when one's mother and father heap dishonor upon you?

The answer in most cases is not a simple one indeed.

On the morning of the fourteenth of February, 1899, Miss Aeris Louisa Gast was born in the tiny hamlet of Winhill which was nestled peacefully in the Midgar plains. It was a farming village located not twenty miles away from Kalm and a good fifty away from the boisterous city of Midgar. Being such a small village, the birth of a child is a thing to be remembered, for there's nothing so enjoyable to farm folks as a good bit of gossip and a kind remembrance.

That morning had been marked by many as the most beautiful they'd seen in ages. Though no one had remembered the girl's actual birth as Mrs. Gast had insisted on having her in a hospital of all places. But a birth was good news, no matter where it happened. In a small town like Winhill, the very idea of having a child in a sterile hospital was abhorrent and strange. The local midwife had assisted in the birth of every child in the village. Every child but Aeris...and despite this one oddity, all agreed that the girl was as lovely as the day she was born. Her parents, Elmyra and Emmett, had been proclaimed as truly blessed to have such a child. And so it seemed...for at one time the Gast family had been prosperous. Rich in an excess of wealth as well as love.

Emmett Gast was the younger brother to the brilliant scientist, philosopher and inventor, Professor Albus Gast who was a modern genius in every sense of the word. The good Professor was the inventor of a list of devices and gadgets that could very well boggle the mind. He invented the light-bulb, designed the first modern airship, was responsible for designing and producing the world's first telephone and these were only his minor accomplishments to the advancement of the human race. His most triumphant accomplishment would be the discovery of mako refinement. Mako is a natural substance, much like lava, it bubbles under the surface of the earth. It gives it life...of sorts. Some might call mako the very water of life. In religious terms, mako was believed to be the essence of the gods. It is a substance that is ephemeral and no one really understands what purpose it really serves. Only that mako is needed to keep the planet habitable. Professor Gast studied mako for most of his life and though he could not pinpoint its purpose, he did see that it was a viable resource that man could harness. For twenty years of his life he studied and worked and finally it paid off. The refinement of synthetic mako was born and the world was never the same again.

Albus himself was clever, quick-witted and had a knack for seeing just what needed to be done, and then implementing it. He was a renaissance man who was gifted in many disciplines and spoke more than a dozen languages. And there was nothing he loved so much as solving a problem, the tougher it was...the better. If there was a way for him to save time or speed up an arduous job, he'd find it. With a quick flick of the wrist and barely a thought, he'd invent the latest modern marvel and afterwards you'd be wondering how you got on all these years without it. As a gifted artist, you could buy one of his prints for a gift or for your own enjoyment. He wrote several treatises on a number of subjects, everything from space travel to the anatomy of a chocobo. Pick a language you'd like to learn and there was likely a nice home study course written by the good professor that'd it teach it to you in less than a week...or you money back.

Professor Albus Gast was a rare man in the annuls of history. His brilliance only matched by his kindness, for there was never a humanitarian as great as he. Most of his vast fortune was spent on various charities and many of his inventions were given away for free to those in need. He was a saint amongst men and never was one soul so lauded with praise and approval that was more deserved. He had quite literally changed the world, pushing out the safety of agrarian dependence while lifting up a revolution vaulted ahead by the pulsing beat of industry.

Sadly, it was almost inevitable that such a bright star would eventually fade and fall. The man who'd drawn the world out of primitive drollery and into a new, modern age of reason and science, setting the pattern for the next one hundred years, died quietly in his sleep one morning. And when he was found and the cause ferreted out, it was found that the fallibility of his own humanity did him in. On a rainy Sunday afternoon, Professor Albus Gast was laid to rest, dead from a heart attack at the age of thirty four. To have accomplished so much in such a short time is indeed the model of a life well lived.

So it wasn't much of a surprise when the world turned to his younger brother, Emmett, to further the glory Albus had started. Sadly, Emmett wasn't gifted with half the class, charm and genius of his older sibling. He was by all accounts a dullard and had lagged behind his older brother like a lost pup. It was a pity that one brother would get all the intelligence while the other had none. There were three years between the brothers and many blamed Emmett's uselessness on his youth. Most believed, and rightly so, that it was the boy himself that was to blame. Lazy, self-indulgent and ambitionless, he preferred to bask in the elder Gast's wealth and privilege. During his life, Albus had always seen to it that Emmett was provided for. This was probably the reason Emmett had never tried to put himself to good use. He'd never held a real job. Never tried to better himself in any way, shape or form. His brother had tried hard to help Emmett find his purpose, but it seemed any chore he was given ended in disaster. It was clear that even the most menial of tasks were beyond him, much to his elder brother's eternal disappointment. Reluctantly, Albus settled on giving him a monthly stipend to help keep him out of trouble.

It didn't, but you can't fault an older brother for trying.

Emmett wasted his meager earnings on drink, loose women and gambling. It is an insufferable irony that he was a failure in all areas. He wasn't that good looking. He couldn't hold his liquor and he was very, very bad at cards. After loosing a fortune in one card game, Albus's tolerance of his brother's antics abruptly ended.

Completely frustrated, he sent Emmett to a military school in hopes of straightening the boy out. Much to everyone's relief, the military life seemed to agree with Emmett. He finally became just a bit less useless and though he'd never become an officer, he was satisfied with his chosen career. Emmett, it seemed, finally found something he was good at. Doing what he was told.

It was in the military that he met his future wife.

Elmyra Gainsborough was a fine young lady and thoroughly unattainable. This is not to say that she was overly beautiful nor was she terribly smart. She was average in all ways, except for being silly and a bit conceited and as ignorant as she was opinionated. What made Elmyra unattainable to a simple soldier like Emmett was the fact that she was the cousin to the crown princess, Ifalna Gainsborough...who was said to have been a great beauty with a sharp mind as well. It was no surprise that Ifalna had been chosen as next in line for the crown. She was everything a future queen should be. Elegant, poised, and ethereally charming, she was a goddess walking the earth untamed. She was the exact opposite of her cousin, who paled in comparison.

Behind their backs, the servants often referred to the cousins as Beauty and the Beast...for such was an apt description of their differences in temperament. Of course, there is no question as to which was the beauty and which was the beast. Elmyra exemplified every negative association the word princess held and though her manners were taught by the best teachers money could buy, the lessons seemingly had no effect on her. It was as if she were immune to common decency. So, when the formal announcement came through for the final line of succession. It was a great shock for all to find that Elmyra was second in line for the throne. Of course, this news was greeted with smug condescension by Elmyra, who didn't appreciate being second in line one bit. She could barely tolerate her cousin Ifalna, despite the fact that the girl had made pleasant enough overtures to her. Elmyra was quite sure that she was only being so sweet to spite her. It had taken a lot of convincing for her to go on a tour of the world with "sweet" cousin Ifalna and she had only done it to keep her place in line.

Emmett and Elmyra met on a misty afternoon as the royal family was touring the grounds at Junon, where Emmett was stationed. He was lucky enough to be their guide and by some great coincidence or act of god, he caught Elmyra's eye. Or perhaps it was the other way around. Either way, they couldn't get enough of each other. The rest of her stay there she visited with the young soldier and after three weeks, they proclaimed themselves in love. Much to the chagrin of everyone else involved.

Albus wasn't happy with his brother's choice for a wife. "A princess," He said, "will hardly be happy with the meager salary of a simple soldier." But his brother didn't listen.

Elmyra's relatives were enraged. How dare an heir of royal lineage and second in line for the throne behave this way! To think that she'd content herself with a commoner and a soldier...a soldier for a husband! It was an outrage and her parents forbade her to marry such a man, threatening to disown the girl if she dared disobey.

She did...and the penalty for her disobedience was to be cut off from her family forever. Forsaking the throne and her position, she married for love. A foolish thing indeed for a lady who'd rarely stepped foot outside the royal palace her entire life. She had thrown it all away on a whim. Thinking herself quite lucky to catch a handsome soldier's eye. She had felt she'd bested Ifalna, who she was sure had taken a fancy to Emmett. Elmyra had cleverly stolen him away and though she gave up her place on the throne, she had no regrets. And anyway, Ifalna would probably end up living just about forever before she'd ever catch even a glimmer of that crown. It was best to give it up and besides, she'd finally have her freedom from the stifling rules that went along with being royalty. Something Elmyra had always craved since she was a little girl.

For awhile, things were good. Emmett's stipend from his brother and his salary as a soldier supported them well. His superiors had him re-stationed in Winhill, partially so that he could be closer to his family, partially to rid themselves of him. The world was at peace which meant there was little need for trained warriors. The soldiers stationed in Junon were little more than show. Emmett, being the person he was, didn't much care for being window dressing. He had always been an anxious person who was best put to use when there was a task that needed to be completed. With nothing to do, no orders to follow, he became a restless nuisance to all around him.

So, they stationed him in Winhill, his hometown. It was a small village that was unfortunately plagued with an overabundance of wildlife, violent wildlife that sometimes behaved more like monsters than natural animals. They were in need of a small contingent to clear the surrounding hills and forests of dangerous beasts. And Emmett was in need of something to do. So they sent him to them and he did his job quite well. Emmett was happy, his superiors were happy and so was his wife. Winhill wasn't as cosmopolitan as Junon, but it was much quieter and a good deal cleaner. She had never experienced the sounds and sights of the less attractive parts of the city. Being a soldier's wife acquainted her with a kind of living she'd only ever read about. And reading about something does not prepare you for experiencing it.

Junon was loud and dirty. There were homeless people on the street. You couldn't go out after dark. She was woken on more than one occasion by the sounds of a drunken brawl. Or worse, sometimes she woke to the most unpleasant smell, wafting through her window at night like an unwanted fog. In comparison, their simple little bungalow nestled on a remote little rural street in Winhill was heaven. It was quiet and blessedly free of the fetid stench of humanity that pervaded the air in Junon. Again, her life was more simple here but infinitely more pleasant. And though it was hardly what she was used to, she didn't mind. The pleasure in discovering the world and her new husband were enough to sate her soul. She rarely thought of how much she'd given up and he rarely thought at all.

As the years past, their lot in life became harder. All of it starting the day that Albus died. Though the untimely death was unwelcome and greatly saddened the younger Gast, it did bring with it a minor uplift of good fortune. Emmett inherited his brother's fortune, as well as the sprawling estate he'd built in Winhill. The estate had taken five years to build and upon completion it was given a name. Pembroke Estate upon Winhill. The Gasts had often visited Pembroke with their daughter in tow. Mostly for holidays and the like. Although Pembroke was large as many mansions of the day were, it was also a surprisingly cheery place. A beautiful country mansion that had all the trappings of wealth but put together in such a fashion as to make it welcoming, rather than imposing or museum-like. Pembroke's best feature were its gardens, which were so large that one could easily be lost within them for days at a time. It was a place that was unique and bespoke the nature of its owner. Every corner was filled with remembrances of Albus and the short, yet full life he'd led.

So it was with heavy hearts that the Gasts moved into their new home. Truly, they were all grateful to be blessed with such good fortune. But good fortune received because of someone else's bad fortune isn't necessarily something anyone would welcome without a tinge of regret. Time does eventually heal all wounds. The Gasts settled into a comfortable routine and soon the estate became their home as much as any place could be.

Now on the surface, the Gasts seemed happy and content with their lot in life. But reality didn't match the surface. Over the years, Elmyra became increasingly discontent with everything she had. It had finally sunken in that she'd given up a life of idle luxury for fleeting pleasure. She had enjoyed being a soldier's wife, until she began to see that they hadn't the money for the countless servants and handmaids she was used to. They hadn't the money to afford a new gown for every day of the year. They couldn't go to all the nice society parties that she'd so enjoyed in her youth...because they were unwelcome. Bitterness had taken a firm hold on Elmyra and it soon showed in her attitude towards her husband and child. She became a loud and insufferably pushy woman. Whining and complaining about everything under the sun. Her constant nagging and her tendency to spend more than they had, wore on her husband's nerves. His only solace was to turn to drinking and gambling again. And over these card games he'd loose even more money that he couldn't afford to spend. Between the pair of them, they managed to gradually fritter away Albus's fortune and within ten years they were in a considerable amount of debt.

During this time neither parent paid particular attention to their little girl, as they only expense they decided they could afford was a very good nanny. Despite this, Aeris grew to be a stunning young lady. She was surprisingly smart and beautiful, with a quick wit and quite a bit of natural charm. Aeris had a pleasant, easy going personality and all who met her couldn't help but love her. There were many in the village who remarked that she was quite unlike her mother and father in all respects. Some ventured to think that perhaps the girl wasn't theirs at all. The rumor stuck fast. No one had remembered seeing Mrs. Gast pregnant, and though this could be waved away by a woman's modesty, it was rather curious.

Curious indeed, for as the girl grew she resembled her parents less and less. She wasn't dull or lazy. She wasn't content to follow others. She was a curious girl who was uncommonly bright and ambitious in her intelligence. A genius almost and it was wondered that perhaps the Gast gift for brilliance skipped her father to bless his daughter. She had a great love of books and could often be seen coming and going from the local library. All the booksellers in town knew her by name and considered the young girl their best customer. Every teacher she had in throughout her schooling loved her. Aeris learned uncommonly fast and no subject was beneath her notice. By the time she was seventeen years old she already spoke a grand total of eight languages and was well versed in many subjects. And not just the subjects that would make her a better wife, no, those subjects were far too common for her. Aeris enjoyed Math and Science, which most young women traditionally avoided, not only because they thought it too difficult and uninteresting, but learning such things hardly made one a better wife. Aeris didn't share this view and she was lucky that most of her instructors understood. Those that didn't soon realized not to deny her need for learning, as she was persistent and stubborn when it came to her studies. She was the perfect student in every way and their only lament was that she was a girl. Had she been born a boy, how far she could have gone indeed!

Everything about the world interested her. She was an avid explorer and when she wasn't reading, she was traipsing about the countryside. Most of the time knee deep in mud or hanging off the side of a cliff. Sometimes, she could even be found in the bowers of trees. It was quite a sight to see such a comely young lady, dressed so finely, with her legs hanging over the limb of wide maple tree.

For her parents, this was a situation that left much to be desired. They had hoped to raise a mild, winsome young lady that would be easily married off to some well deserving young man of considerable wealth. But Aeris defied their expectations. She was too smart for her own good sometimes. She was able to converse at length about a number of subjects. The most studious of young men had tried to best her, and had at length met their match.

The girl just couldn't hold her tongue, especially if she felt she was right. Instead of playing the part of an empty-headed coquet, Aeris would most firmly state her opinion in the plainest of terms. Laying out in an organized fashion why they were wrong and she was right. Most young men left the Gast home feeling humiliated and dejected that they were bested by a mere slip of a girl. Yet they would call again and again. Even though she was just a girl and even though every time they called, she would match wits with them most expertly. Even though each time it ended in defeat, they still came because of her beauty.

She was small and demure, with lovely eyes as green as the darkest emerald. Her chestnut hair hung loose at her shoulders in graceful waves that corkscrewed at the ends into ringlets. It was as soft as spun silk and when she moved, it would dance around her shoulders most entrancingly. Her rosebud lips were prone to breaking into a wide and irrepressible smile. Most enchanting of all was her voice. It was lively and full of life, and any man could proclaim himself lucky to hear its sound first thing in the morning. She had a lithe and trim figure, due to all the time she spent running about the countryside. The only thing that detracted from her beauty was her rather swarthy skin tone. She wasn't a pale china doll, like the other young girls. Yet despite her sun kissed complexion, she was still regarded as the most handsome young lady in the countryside. It was all due to her lively nature. The very fact that she enjoyed life so thoroughly drew people to her. She wasn't a wan and fragile girl, content to spend the rest of her life hidden inside her home. Aeris was no shy and shrinking violet. She wasn't the hothouse orchid, who couldn't survive outside her home without protection. Aeris was a robust and untamed wildflower, a wild-rose that'd grow no matter where you planted her, unlike her haughty, housebroken relatives. There were few men alive who could resist such vivacity and anything that was considered a flaw in others, was a compliment in her.

Despite all the attention this garnered, the girl seemed ill disposed to find a husband. She had never shown an interest in any young man that had come to call. They were all the same, loud, boorish, rude and worst of all completely ignorant. It was bad enough that she had to suffer her mother's antics, but to have to pretend to be interested in the vapidity of others tested her patience. If she were to marry, she had promised herself that she wanted a man that was her equal in all ways. A man that was as intelligent as she, who would treat her with kindness and respect. Not some simpering fool who just wanted a woman to cook his meals and clean his home.

This plan didn't mesh at all with her parent's wishes. They had tried arguing with her. They had tried threatening her. All to no avail. Aeris was a stubborn girl and she stuck to her guns and honestly, they tired of arguing with her as neither of them could match wits with the girl.

This would imply some kind of enmity between parent and child, which was not the truth in the least. Elmyra and Emmett didn't always understand their daughter but she was their fey child and they accepted her for who she was. Even if it did bring a bit of torment upon them to wonder what would become of her once they were old. And Aeris loved her parents quite dearly as well, despite the fact that they were a bit of a social embarrassment. She especially adored her father, as most good daughters do. Emmett could never be accused of being overly bright but he had been the one to encourage his daughter's studies.

And perhaps this was the problem. He allowed her to be not only a bookworm but a tom boy as well. Aeris was simply too free and unfettered by society's rules. Her mother berated her father for indulging the girl, which didn't earn her daughter's love nor appreciation. Elmyra detested it greatly, but she had fallen into the role of parental task master. She was hard on her daughter by necessity and it irked her to no end that the girl hardly appreciated her efforts. Aeris had picked up manners well enough but her efforts at teaching her the more beguiling secrets of being a woman were wasted on her. Much to Elmyra's chagrin, the girl openly detested the flirtatious gestures and womanly modesty that would get her a good husband. It was something she endlessly lamented but did very little to change.

There really was no reason to. At the time, Emmett still had his fortune and his health.

Then he died.

Elmyra was already frantic about it because Emmett had no living male relatives. And Aeris, as his sole heir, could inherit nothing because she was a woman. Their only hope was to marry her off quickly so that her husband could accept Emmett's estate in her place. It wasn't an easy arrangement to accept, but they'd be able to keep their home and their fortune. Then the situation was made worse when Elmyra found out how deeply in debt Emmett had been. He'd never let his girls know. Both had stared at the lawyer in open faced shock. Elmyra had promptly passed out and left poor Aeris to sort out the details. And what she learned was that they'd be left with nothing. Their home was to be auctioned off, along with most of their possessions.

Within a week, an army of appraisers would arrive to catalogue and assess the value of every item in the house. Those that were deemed of no importance they could keep. Everything else belonged to the various creditors Emmett owed money to. And as Aeris contemplated this, she realized the enormity of the situation. Her entire library was stocked with rare and antique books and her heart clenched at the idea that some grubby appraiser would be rubbing his hands all over them. Her beloved chocobo, Mary Sue, would no doubt be sold. Chocobos, especially of Mary Sue's quality, fetched a nice price. But she just couldn't imagine someone else taking an animal she considered a friend. They wouldn't understand her. Those awful bank people would probably sell her to some racing track! Or worse, they'd give her to some nasty, spoiled rich girl, who wouldn't appreciate Mary Sue's unique personality. At this, Aeris became visibly upset and had to take a few minutes to calm herself before she could go on.

Then the lawyer told her that she and her mother would have to leave their home immediately. They could only take what they could carry and only things that the head collection agent deemed acceptable. Aeris nodded numbly, her worsening mood was not helped by the lawyer's almost cold attitude. The man had the gall to act like he was being endlessly gracious just because he'd offered to let them stay, rent free, in a ratty little tenement while they worked this out. A tenement he happened to own and which he said he would allow them to live at permanently, if they paid rent. He then made a condescending remark about finding her work as a servant or a laundress, but she blocked it out. Looking out the window, she had to bite the inside of her lip to keep from crying. She had to be strong for her mother. As this all was quite a blow to be delivered on the heels of already bad news. And her mother was anything but strong and did not take such tribulations well.

It was when things seemed the worst that a solution presented itself.

Aeris knew that at one time her mother had been royalty and though ties were officially cut off, she still had occasional dealings with her family. A distant cousin had heard of their troubles and offered to help them. Aeris had been worried, noting that there always seemed to be a price attached to any help given. Rufus Shinra was her cousin by marriage, though she'd hardly seen him her entire life. She knew he was much older than she was and that he was the heir to the rather generous Shinra fortune. Her parents had gone to his wedding when she was fourteen. She hadn't been invited, which was a disappointment in of itself. Worse, she hadn't even been asked to be a flower girl, which still disappointed her to this day. But that was besides the point. The fact that someone she barely knew and was only tenuously related to had suddenly decided to offer them help seemed suspicious to her.

With a sinking heart, she realized she had little choice in the matter. They were in the midst of a storm and any port would do at the moment.

She'd taken his offer, with her mother's prodding, and had never regretted anything so much in her life. Rufus was apparently well acquainted with the royal family and had found a way for Aeris to claim the title Elmyra had foolishly thrown away.

"I think you will find this plan most agreeable, Miss Gast." He said, seeming rather pleased with himself as he led her through her gardens she so treasured and was soon to lose. "You see, Her Majesty has long sought to settle things regarding your mother and herself. As you know, they have quite the bitter history. Her Eminence has thought for many years on who she would bestow your mother's former title on. But no candidates seemed worthy and so Her Highness had left the issue of title unresolved, until now. I have mentioned you to her and she seems quite intrigued."

"Oh." She replied, which was really all she could think to say.

"I have a mind to understand Her Majesty's will and I think she would find it agreeable to bestow you with the title, on condition, of course, that you were to marry a man of her choosing."

That marriage question again. The lawyer had brought it up as well and she'd absolutely refused. Mostly because she didn't trust the man as he seemed the unscrupulous type and she couldn't imagine what kind of husband he'd get for her. Not that she trusted Mr. Shinra much more but at the very least she'd get someone of her own standing. Even better, above her standing. The man in question had noted her silence and wondered at it.

"Are you disposed to have a husband?"

Aeris blushed furiously at this question but replied quietly, "Truthfully, I haven't thought of it. But I suppose I haven't much choice in the matter."

"Of course you have a choice, my dear. True, the thought of marrying a stranger is no doubt daunting. But I think it is most preferable to your other choices. Of course, you must keep your own council in such matters that concern yourself but I urge you to consider your options carefully. Your decision will not only affect you but your mother as well."

She nodded heavily and sighed, "Yes. I understand..."

"You have questions, I imagine? I'd be more than happy to erase any doubt..."

"If I were to accept your proposal, what exactly would happen to my mother and our home?"

"Well, I believe Her Majesty is willing to do away with your fathers debts. Your mother would be able to keep her home."

"And me?"

"You would go to the north and meet with Her Highness. You would stay in her palace until such time as she found a suitable husband for you. Then you would marry and take on the title of Grand-Duchess of Nibelheim."

"Oh."

"There is, of course, the matter of your mother's disgrace. She has been permanently disowned, so you will be forbidden to contact her once you take over your title. I know this will be the hardest part for you, as she is your mother. But...one must pay a price for most things in life." He said, looking down at her with an expression somewhere between pity and sympathy.

Tears formed in her eyes but she batted them away, staring at him with a hard look in her face. Could she trade her freedom for her mother's happiness? She didn't know. Indecision wracked her and she looked to the clouds and the sky for answers. Finding none, she gripped her escort's arm a little tighter before exhaling deeply.

Her decision had been made.

"What kind of man would Her Highness get for me? Would I have any say at all in the selection?"

"She would find the most worthy. Regrettably, you would have no say at all in the matter. Such a marriage would be for political gain, rather than personal. I wouldn't worry overmuch. If nothing else comforts you, she will get you a rich husband who will provide for your every need. What more could a woman want?"

Aeris bristled at this suggestion but said nothing. No matter how odious she thought Rufus Shinra to be, he was doing her a favor. She should be grateful.

"When would I leave?"

"As soon as you've decided."

"May I take my things with me?"

"You make take some of your things with you, of course. With the exception of your wardrobe, as your current attire hardly befits the station you are to ascend to. You will, of course, be given new clothes to replace your old attire."

"What will become of me once I go to the palace? Will I be married immediately?"

"No, no. Most likely, Her Highness will want a full month, if not more, to choose the right husband for you. Then there would be a month of preparation for the nuptials. And of course, there is also the matter of learning royal protocol and etiquette. You seem to have rather adequate manners which I think with sufficient adjustment could improve easily. So in that time you'd be quite busy. It will give you time to adjust to your new situation."

They had walked the full circuit of the garden and arrived back at the entrance to the house. Rufus led her up the steps and still holding her hand he stopped and looked her in the eyes. His mouth had thinned to a sharp line and he gazed meaningfully at her.

"Have you decided?"

"I...I..." She struggled, her pretty face knitting together in indecision. "Would I be allowed to think on this a bit more before committing to this plan?"

"There is no time for hesitation, my dear. I must leave upon the morrow. I need your decision today, whether it be yes or no. I cannot wait. I am a busy man and have my own affairs to look after. I do not wish to chide you further but...a decision must be made."

She paused. The world around her had taken on a surreal quality. As if all the minutes of the day had lengthened into eternity and she was stuck in a moment that would not end. No birds cried. No wind whispered. Her future stood before her and it was quite unlike the one she'd imagined in her head. She'd always told herself she'd marry for love but now faced with a life of abject poverty and certain misery, her plans had changed. Marrying a stranger seemed so cold and impersonal. More like a bank transaction than anything resembling what she'd always dreamed matrimony to be. Surely, she'd be unhappy with such an arrangement, yet she supposed it would be like anything else. At first it would be uncomfortable, but with time perhaps it'd fade. She'd always believed that the situation didn't determine your happiness, your own attitude towards the situation did. This marriage would be what she made of it and if it didn't work out, then she'd at least saved her mother from spending her later years in unhappy labor. With a heavy heart, she broke her reverie and met Shinra's gaze unflinchingly.

"I accept."

But only because she had no other choice left open to her.

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Welcome to the first chapter of Rose of Midgar! You'll notice the style is quite different from what I've written before. And the story itself is a great departure from your typical fic. This ain't your sister's AeriSeph! This is your gramma's! That's right! Your GRAMMA'S!

Basically, this is a alternate universe...obviously. The setting is the same. There's Midgar, even mako. But the story itself is meant to evoke a time long ago. It's set in 1916, though not on earth. Think of it this way, if Jane Austin, Final Fantasy and the Remains of the Day had a baby, it'd be Rose of Midgar. I'm trying to evoke a sort of Merchant-Ivory feeling from this story. Dealing with themes and issues that we don't deal with at all in the modern age, but were quite common a little over a hundred years ago.

So enjoy!

Ciao

Noa


	2. Rose Colored Glasses

One of the most unfortunate aspects of change was the way in which it tended to drastically rearrange your life. Change takes well managed routines and throws them into chaos. One may try to anticipate the inconveniences wrought by change by establishing new routines in order to ease oneself into the unfamiliar. Over time, this works. What was unfamiliar and strange soon becomes familiar, until one cannot remember what life was like before. This all comes with the acceptance of change, but oftentimes such acceptance is not easy in coming. Sooner or later the strangeness of the situation becomes evident, one either rolls with it or struggles against it. Either way, you come to know how utterly bewildering change can be and are left knowing with utmost certainty that nothing will ever be the same again.

This realization had yet to hit Aeris. She had firmly struggled to accept the fact that her life had been turned upside down, and that this topsy-turvy ride wasn't about to stop. It was only just beginning. She had, in fact, been in avoidance of the plain truth of her situation, going through the days as if nothing at all was the matter. To the casual observer, Aeris was not a girl on the verge of getting married to a perfect stranger. She wasn't about to give up the anonymity of simple village life for the whirlwind of fame attached to true nobility. Nor was she a girl about to leave her family home to live in a strange city.

Yes, to the casual observer, Aeris was your typical well-to-do village girl without a care in the world. She had tried her hardest to portray this image by not thinking on her decision she'd made well over a fortnight ago. A feat that was becoming overwhelmingly harder to do as the days passed. The entire house was in a flurry of activity as her all of her belongings she didn't immediately need were carefully packed and addressed. With each sunrise and subsequent sunset, she was closer to her eventual departure. A departure she was not looking forward to.

Over the last two weeks she had seen much more of Mr. Shinra than she'd like and it was only out of courtesy that she didn't say anything. He had done her family quite a large favor and she should be grateful, though at times it was hard. The man was as unpleasantly condescending as he was before, if not more so. He took it upon himself to guide her as if she were a lost chick and he was the mother hen, gently nudging her in the right direction. Never in her whole life had she held her tongue. This was her first real experience with it and she found it to be quite tiresome. There were times when she'd almost slip, only to be silenced by a dark look given to her by her mother.

The only good thing about this whole ordeal was that she finally had an ally in her mother. Elmyra had begrudgingly kept a silent reign on her daughter's mouth, but in private, she expressed her deep dislike for Mr. Shinra.

"He is making himself far too familiar in our home. Ordering everyone around as if it were his own. I just know he plans to move in here and make that awful wife of his the lady of this house. I can see it..." She stated, a bit hysterically, waving her handkerchief for emphasis, "I can see it quite plainly...in those beady little eyes of his. He's just slavering, Aeris. Just waiting with baited breath to take what's ours and throw us out on the street. I shouldn't have dreamed to hope...all those pretty words of his were just words. What a fool I was! Oh! What shall become of us?"

Then her mother let out a cry and collapsed back into her chair in a mock-faint. Aeris rolled her eyes at her mother's antics and sighed. It had taken twenty full minutes to calm her poor mother down. After that, she had made a habit of talking to her mother during the evening hours. It helped reduce the bouts of hysteria her mother was so prone to, and it did a great deal to calm her nerves as well. Her mother might be a bit overwrought and dramatic in her gestures, but she was a rather kindly listener, and Aeris had unexpectedly come to depend on her as a source of comfort. Something she had longed for her whole life.

They discussed her future and her mother told her as much as she could remember about court life, when not sighing overdramatically about what Mr. Shinra would do when he inevitably took over her home. And for once, her mother's discussion of manners and coquetry wasn't quite as tiresome as before. They often spoke of Mr. Shinra and his irredeemably ridiculous quirks. Though she wasn't in agreement with her mother's hysterical paranoia, she didn't much care for Mr. Shinra's overbearing attitude. Yet she put up with it as amiably as she could, which made her mother giddy with obvious pleasure. Finally, her daughter had caught on to the lessons she'd tried to instill in her all these years.

It was a pity it had all come so late.

Aeris held back this realization, for she didn't want to think about the day she would leave all of this. She didn't want to think of the final embrace she'd have to give her mother, knowing that she'd never see her again. The only palpable good Mr. Shinra HAD done was see to it that she would at least be able to have some contact with her mother. She was allowed to write to her mother and receive one letter from her mother in kind, as long as it was kept discreetly secret. One letter to. One letter from. Soon those bi-monthly letters would be the only contact she would have from her dear mother. She quite regretted all the years she spent fighting Elmyra over every little thing. Now she had wished she'd stopped just for a moment to listen and appreciate all the things she could have learned.

All she had was the time given, so Aeris had did her best not to think too hard and to enjoy the time she had. So, Mother and Daughter quietly conspired every evening about nothing in particular while Mr. Shinra plotted and planned her future. With him, he'd brought an entire army of tutors to begin the basics of her "training" in royal etiquette. He'd also taken care to bring a seamstress who fitted her for her new wardrobe. Her days seemed to fly by. She rarely had a minute to herself, except for the evening hours.

During the day, she was entirely occupied by the various tutors hired. There was one tutor for meals, to teach her which fork should be used, when she ought to sit down. What she should talk about during meals and so forth. There was another for dances. Yet another for letter writing. And so on and so on, and so forth. At the end of the day she was deliriously exhausted. It was as if a fire was lighted underneath each and every one of her tutor's seats. They taught her like the devil himself was looking over their shoulder and it had confused Aeris. Mr. Shinra had told her she'd have a full month to prepare...but apparently he overestimated the time by quite a bit.

When she finally had the gumption to ask him outright, she was told that plans had changed. Mr. Shinra had told her this with such an offhand flippancy that it still caused her quite a bit of aggravation when she thought about it. She was no longer to spend a month cloistered in the Imperial City. Instead, she would have but two weeks to learn all she had to before being shuttled to Midgar. Once there, she would spend two and a half weeks in the city. The first week would be to get used to her temporary home. The second week, she was to gradually be introduced into polite society. Also during this week, she would have daily meetings with the men who were her chosen suitors, handpicked by the Queen herself.

At the end of the two and a half weeks, there would be a ball to celebrate her coming out into society. It was to be a grand affair, if she was to believe Mr. Shinra, where she would be presented to all high nobility, as well as the Queen herself. After all the formalities, the ball would start, and she would dance with each of her suitors. Mr. Shinra had said that the Queen would be watching during this time, to see which of the young men she'd chosen suited her best.

The next day, she'd be taken to St. Adlebert's Cathedral where the Queen would formally bestow her with the title of Grand Duchess of all Seneca...which was another point Mr. Shinra failed to mention. He'd said that she was to be the Grand Duchess of Nibelheim, which _was_ a province of Seneca and its capital city. He'd said nothing about being the Grand Duchess of _all _Seneca. She pointed this out to him, berating him for failing to mention this rather large detail in his initial offer. He waved her off, explaining that he wasn't entirely familiar with the ins and outs of Senecian nobility; therefore he'd gotten his facts confused. This didn't instill much confidence in Aeris and she'd spent the next forty five minutes sharply interrogating him to her satisfaction.

Though he'd answered most of her question in great detail, he never explained to her why everything seemed so rushed. Aeris was a rarity amongst modern young ladies. She was prone to following current events quite closely, and could often be found with the latest edition of the Midgar Times in her hands. It was no secret to anyone who was even just a bit informed that war was brewing. The Empire had increased vastly over the years and had because of this, it had prospered. To conquer so easily, and with such benefit, would inevitably garner envy amongst less prosperous nations. Wutai was one of these nations, though they could hardly be called less prosperous. Nevertheless, they disliked the Empire's growing influence and cast a wary eye at its Eastern neighbors. Tension between the two nations was high, and most were expecting war to break out any day now.

This was the only reason she could fathom that the Queen would rush her marriage so. Either way, there was quite a bit more to the arrangement than she'd previously believed and she could only wish that things would slow down a bit, for her sanity's sake. All her wishing got her less than nowhere and so her vicious spate of not thinking had begun.

Matters were made worse by the arrival of Mrs. Shinra, her dear and all together distant cousin. Her visit had coincided with Aeris's appointment with the seamstress. Aeris had vague recollections of the first and only time she had met Mrs. Delores Shinra. It was long before she was married, if she remembered correctly, when she was but nine years old, and Delores a rather fulsome fourteen. Her cousin had doted on her, to the point of annoyance. Treating her more like a common house pet or a favored china doll than a person. To say it hadn't been a fond meeting was an understatement.

Upon re-acquaintance, Aeris could safely say that her first impressions of her cousin were in no danger of changing. Mrs. Delores Shinra was a perfect compliment to her husband in the most negative connotation possible. She was every bit as unctuous and overbearing as Mr. Shinra. In fact, Aeris quite believed that she was in many ways worse than her husband, for she was not only overtly patronizing but haughty and arrogant as well. At the very least, Mr. Shinra had the decency to treat them as near equals or superiors. It seemed sometimes that Mr. Shinra was desperately trying to gain her good confidence for future use. Whereas, Mrs. Shinra was quite the opposite, treating them with a most impatient disdain, as if they were tasking her by their mere presence.

Aeris fumed silently, waiting for the day that she would leave with cold jubilation. Her mother wasn't quite so silent in her dislike for Mrs. Shinra, and had told her as much straight to her face, which made her an unwelcome interloper during her daughter's fittings and something Aeris greatly lamented. She would have liked her mother's input on her wardrobe, but it was not to be.

Mrs. Shinra had stayed a full week to oversee the seamstress, much to almost everyone's dismay. Not only were Aeris and her mother firmly against her, but the entire staff of Pembroke disliked the lady with the kind of fervor rarely seen in the relatively happy household. The maids had taken to hiding her hatpins in petty revenge for her frequent insults. Even Pembroke's easygoing chef, Rueben, had his ins and outs with her. Aeris had noted that every night during dinner, she found something drastically wrong with her meal, while everyone else had few complaints. Her meat was always overcooked or under-seasoned. Her potatoes were lumpy and her Merlot flat.

Because of this, Aeris had found it easier to her hold her tongue as she was too busy secretly smiling at her cousin's discomfort. It was the only form of retribution she had, anyway...and she needed something. If Mrs. Shinra's manners regarding the help had been the only thing that got on her nerves, it would have been enough to drive her to distraction.

Mrs. Shinra had first and last vote over every decision regarding her wardrobe. She chose the colors, the style, the fabric and the accessories with nary a word to Aeris, rarely even asking her opinion. Aeris had tried to get a word in, to no avail. Mrs. Shinra would have none of it, waving her words away with the brisk flick of her hand. She would decide what was appropriate for a young lady of royal bearing, as, in her opinion, the girl herself could hardly be trusted with the job. So, Mrs. Shinra had spent an entire week in a never-ending, one-sided conversation with the seamstress, talking to her as if there wasn't a third person in the room. When she wasn't talking to hear her own voice, she ordered the poor little seamstress around like a dog, barking orders at her as if she were deaf, dumb and blind, all while completely ignoring Aeris.

If her attention was gained, it was only to gaze at Aeris appraisingly as if she were the finest thoroughbred chocobo. Then she'd quickly jot something down in a little notebook she kept clipped to a hidden pocket in her dress, mumbling quietly to herself. It had bothered her quite a bit, enough for her to give Mrs. Shinra a raised eyebrow that screamed disapproval. Her cousin had apparently taken note, as she hadn't whipped her notebook out quite so often after that. If nothing else, she could compliment Mrs. Shinra for her acute observance of the obvious and that was the by far the best and only real compliment she could give her.

For Mrs. Shinra's part, she had only made one passing comment to Aeris's clear discomfiture with her treatment thus far.

"My dear Aeris, you will see once you are apart of high society that it behooves a lady to never give undo attention to those beneath you. You must always keep an adequate sense of distance in your manner so as to not give anyone under your care the wrong impression. If you are too friendly, those lower in position will covet your time and your money." She had said, her dull, blue eyes narrowing as if she were relating great confidences, "Remember, you must be prudent in all associations, for once you ascend...all manner of rats and other undesirables will come out of the woodwork, with their hands open and begging. I only act this way to teach you, so that you may avoid unpleasant circumstance."

Aeris had never been more disgusted in her life at the pure drivel that spewed from her mouth. It was the most awful thing she'd ever heard another human being utter. She quite understood the value of choosing the right friends, but she couldn't disagree more when it came to her attitude on those less fortunate. They did not deserve to be abused. Surely, there were those who thought to take advantage of your kindness, but you couldn't just refuse all care to those around you. After all, Aeris believed whole heartedly in the basic goodness of all people.

There was almost an audible sigh of relief on the day Mrs. Shinra made her leave. The days that crawled by before, began to whisk a bit more briskly. Before she even knew it, the very day for her own departure drew near. This very morning she'd woken to the sound of chirping birds and the simple thought that this was the last time she'd hear those birds sing in front of her window. That the next time she looked at the sky, it would be over a different town.

Logically, she knew that the sky would remain the same; the only thing that changed was her location. Yet she could not help but think that'd it would be more than that. She wondered then if she would truly be the same. Perhaps, she, like the sky would change not only location but in a more profound way, maybe she too would shift from day to night seamlessly. The real question was would she ever stop or would she just keep changing, until it wasn't just location that separated her from what she was before.

She was in dawn now, soon to be afternoon. Beyond noontime lay somber twilight, where she would linger until finally she became the night and then night would bleed away, and perhaps, just perhaps she'd be dawn once more.

Yes, she would see the same sky again and even if her location changed, she'd still be herself underneath it all. As long as she didn't lose faith, she would be all right. The sky, no matter where it was, would always be the sky and so it would be with Aeris.

Her gaze had been directed to the window, and the soft rose-hued light that quietly crept through the semi-transparent silk shades. She'd forgotten to draw her curtains properly, a habit she carried over from when she was a child. There was something magical about waking to the first rays of the sun. Smilingly lightly but tiredly, she had reluctantly gotten up. Her maid, Mariah, appeared soon after and had assisted her in getting dressed for the morning. She'd worn a light, silk morning dress, with no corset as she wasn't yet prepared to leave her room.

Mr. Shinra would not arrive until later in the afternoon, and she had some last minute packing to do. Mariah helped her as much as she could, though she could tell the maid was getting a bit antsy. She was taking far too much time to pack something as simple as handkerchiefs, yet she couldn't help it. Her fingers unconsciously smoothed the fabric of one kerchief in particular. The first she'd ever been given. It was a lovely little kerchief in a plain but bright pink, with small cluster of knotted roses embroidered smartly on its lower right edge. Her father had given it to her for her twelfth birthday. With another small smile, she carefully folded the kerchief and placed it in her trunk. Sighing, she looked over her morning's work, startled to find that it seemed so full...yet pathetically empty.

She looked over her room. It too was sadly empty of anything that marked its owner. All the personal portraits and pictures had been stripped and packed away, sent to their new home. Her personal library had also been carefully stowed away. Placed in an overlarge crate and forwarded to her temporary apartment in Midgar. Most likely, she wouldn't even have them take it out of storage, as she wasn't going to be staying in Midgar for long. Perhaps, she'd have them dig out some of her favorite volumes, though.

Shutting the trunk with a soft, yet audible click, it finally dawned on Aeris. This was it. She was really leaving.

It was a daunting thought. Her entire life, her future lay before her and it was so very uncertain. Would she be happy? What kind of man would she be marrying and would she be able to find it in her heart to love him? How could one marry a stranger and expect love, was it naive to think this way? Naive to hope that somehow, some way, she'd find love in the arms of a man she barely knew. Her heart was deeply torn, and somewhere in the pit of her stomach, she felt a knot of worry form. She hated to think it, but she was terrified that this would be nothing more than a marriage of convenience. Would it be a loveless marriage, where she would be nothing more than a vessel to produce an heir as well as free labor to manage his household?

Gods, she didn't want that at all. Her mother had run from it and now, she would have to pay the heavy price. She tried to form strings of bitterness in her heart, but she just couldn't. Her newfound closeness with her mother had softened her heart. Elmyra had followed her heart those many years ago. She married for love and lived as happily as anyone could. There was no way for her to know what the future held and Aeris found she couldn't blame her. If she'd been in her mother's position, she probably would have done the same. As it was, Aeris had followed her heart in this matter and would not allow anyone else to shoulder the burden of that decision.

Her mother had told her a little about her own life as a royal. She'd painted a rather romantic picture, but the words behind the dream struck truer. Yes, there would be many gala balls, which she would attend wearing a glittering dress, completely dripping in jewels on the arm of her husband to be. It sounded wonderfully glamorous, yet there was something not so hidden in her mother's eyes as she spoke. There was glamour, but there was also cold duty and the strict codes of conduct one had to obey at all times. It was a life filled with excessive obligation and little time for real love. The only offset to this was the money and privilege her title would grant.

She would have so much money that she couldn't begin to think what she'd do with it. There would be no limits, nothing was beyond her reach. She would never have to want for anything, because with a snap of fingers, it could be hers if she so wished it. Yet the idea of this didn't remotely please her. It barely interested her at all, if the truth were to be told.

Perhaps for some, the lure of so much money and power would be something worth killing for. In Aeris's opinion, a life like that seemed awfully empty without love. This was why she had briefly hoped that she would have some say in the choice of her future husband. Even if they didn't know each another well, she would have liked to pick someone she had something in common with, rather than a complete stranger. As Mr. Shinra had explained it, she would spend some time with her suitors but this was a perfunctory gesture at best. It would give her some idea of the quality of the man she may be marrying, but there was no guarantee that the one she liked best would be picked. Mr. Shinra had said that the Queen would likely pick her husband based on political gain, rather than how well she got on with him.

Her heart sunk with the realization that most of the young men she would be meeting wouldn't care much for her as a person. They were only there to marry her for her title, nothing more. It was hard, but slowly, she felt herself giving up on love. She could almost cry, if she allowed herself to, but she wouldn't. This would not break her. She wouldn't let this situation be the ruination of her heart and soul. She would find a way to be happy, no matter what.

Yet she would become what she hated most. A trophy, a bauble for her husband-to-be to hang on his arm, showing her off like the jewel she was, only to put her away once he no longer needed her. A part of her railed against this and cried to be let out to deny the tightening shackles around her heart but she held it all in. There would be no point in lamenting now, this decision was made for the greater good. It had saved her home and her mother. They were safe and secure now, if nothing else could bring her happiness, then that would have to suffice.

The gravity of her decision overwhelmed her as her maid helped her dress. She gazed about the room one more, letting it all sink in. She would never see this room again. She would never see her mother again or any of the people she'd known since childhood. Her maid, Mariah, she'd never see her again. She'd grown up with the girl, they were as closer than most mistresses and servants ever got. She was more a friend than just a maid and now...she'd never see her again. She'd never be able to traipse about the forest, wild and free, as she had before. She'd never be able to go down to the bookshop to grab a copy of the latest one-gil Dover romance novel that she was so fond of. Names and faces of people she'd never see again flashed before her eyes, and suddenly, she found herself crying. Her fingers tightened against the bedpost as she braced herself, letting out an audible gasp just as her maid tightened the laces on her corset.

"Are you all right, Miss?" Mariah asked, quiet concern entering her lilting voice. "Is it too tight?"

Aeris smiled sadly, wiping away her tears. She'd always loved the way her maid spoke. Mariah had a slight country accent, which was considered coarse in upper crust circles, but Aeris had always thought it charming and somewhat pleasing in tone. When her mother wasn't around, sometimes Aeris found herself slipping into it, having spent so much time with the servants, it was only natural. Over the years, she'd been trained out of it, so that she spoke like a proper lady but she still held onto that part of her childhood, though no one would ever know of it.

With a shaky sigh, she answered her maid, "No, I'm fine, Mariah. I was only thinking about how much I shall miss this place and everyone here."

Mariah continued to tie the laces on the corset, speaking as she worked, "Well, if it's any comfort, I'll miss you terrible. All of us here will. You're a good and kind lady...And once you're gone, there'll be no one to deal with the Missus when she works herself into a state. I daresay the next few months will be filled with quite a bit more excitement than any of us will likely want."

Aeris laughed lightly as she leaned more heavily on the bedpost, "Indeed. My mother is never short on the dramatics but I think you should all fair well. I have instructed Mr. Shinra to keep an eye on her..."

Mariah frowned as her small fingers deftly wove and tightened the corset's laces, moving slowly down her charge's back, "Well, Miss Aeris, I don't know if that's such a good idea, if you don't mind my saying. Considering your mother's feelings regarding Mr. Shinra, I don't think she'll be too pleased to see him..."

"I suppose not." Aeris said, wincing a bit as Mariah pulled the laces tight. Once her breath came back, she spoke again, "Mother has always made more of things than she should but I think, eventually, she will come 'round. After all, he will be the only contact we have with each other once I leave."

"Such a sad situation...for the life of me, Miss, I don't think I'll ever understand rich folks. P'rhaps it's better that way...anyway, better Mr. Shinra than that awful wife of his. I don't mean to be a gossip, Miss Aeris, but I hope I never cross paths with that lot again. I pity the poor, unfortunate souls under her service. It must be terrible torment to work for her. Me mum said just yesterday that she thought the devil was in that woman...and I said..."

Aeris closed her eyes as she let her maid ramble on. She'd only just begun to wear the tight laced health corsets all ladies were expected to wear. Until now, she'd worn the less restrictive corsets designed for young girls. She'd specifically directed Mariah not to tie it quite as tight as she should have because Aeris was used to having a measure of freedom. The maid had tied it as loosely as she dared to; even still it was terribly uncomfortable and drove the breath from her lungs. She didn't know how she'd put up with it at all. Her thoughts were scattered by the sounds of commotion coming from the hallway. As the din neared her door, the cacophonous voice of her mother reached her ears.

"AERIS! Good heavens, girl! There you are!" Her mother cried, bustling towards her daughter, handkerchief flapping.

Aeris merely stared at her mother in open surprise, answering her between gasps as her corset was pulled just a bit tighter, "W-where...else...would I be?"

"Well, I thought you'd be down for breakfast already! You were always such an early riser...and when you weren't there..." She said, with the slightest tremble to her voice as she collapsed into a chair, fanning her kerchief in front of her face to stave off the vapors she was sure to succumb to.

"I had a few more things to pack, which Mariah has kindly helped me with. I was just about to..."

Her mother interrupted her, holding a hand to her heart as she spoke, "Well, you gave me quite a fright! I thought that Mr. Shinra might have come early and spirited you away before I might properly say my goodbyes... and then..." Her mother's faced brightened momentarily before she paused, noting her daughter's state of dress, or undress as it were, "You're not dressed, my dear."

"No, I'm not. I was just about to explain..."

"Mr. Shinra might be here at any moment! Look at the state you're in! OH! Gracious! You shall be the death of me, I swear!" She exclaimed, slapping her hand on the armrest of her chair in burdened disapproval, "Oh. So much the better I suppose."

Her mother got up with feigned weariness, waving her confusion away with one delicate hand. Aeris didn't care to ask her mother what in the world she was talking about as it was rather futile. The answer would no doubt be quite disappointing and unhelpful. She suspected that most of the time her mother barely knew what she was talking about anyway. The woman in question was currently babbling to no one in particular. Aeris ventured to guess that her mother might be talking to her, perhaps even asking her questions but one could never be sure.

From what little she caught, Aeris had decided that her mother was merely carrying on as she normally did and therefore she ignored her as best she could. Using the hard won control over her tongue, Aeris exercised her new gift by not making any smart remarks at her mother's expense. Instead, she merely nodded her assent to whatever crazy notions her mother was currently spouting. It was clear a dramatic outburst was forthcoming as Mrs. Gast was becoming increasingly agitated. Aeris did her best to brace herself for the inevitable storm.

"CLARA! CLARA, YOU LAZY GIRL! WHERE ARE YOU?" her mother bellowed, without any preamble or explanation for why she felt the sudden need to shout.

Aeris winced from not only the volume of her mother's voice but from the abruptly final tug her maid gave to her corset before tying the knot to hold it in place. All the while, her mother continued to shout, complain and generally make a fuss at her maid's absence. The din quieted once the maid came in, huffing and puffing as she trudged in holding several more packages in her arms than she could comfortably carry. Her mother excitedly ushered her in, nearly toppling both maid and packages in the process. Mariah kindly saved the day by helping poor Clara, taking the topmost packages and setting them on her mistress's bed. Aeris watched with some curiosity as she slipped on a robe for modesty's sake.

"Mother...what is all this?" Aeris asked carefully, holding her robe closed at the neck.

Her mother, for once, said nothing. She gave her daughter a mysterious little smile, her eyes glittering with mirth. Aeris was unsure if she ought to be delighted by this or worried. Her mother was rarely the type of person who was spontaneously mischievous. That had been her father's department. Publicly, her mother was always ridiculously demure in her comportment and ever so proper. For the briefest moment, Aeris wondered if her mother had finally lost her tentative hold on reality, letting the last few scraps of sanity she had wither and die as she drove homeward, towards senility.

She knew it would happen one day...only a matter of time, really.

Her mother hadn't guessed what her daughter had been pondering. She'd merely been excited, not only because she had a great surprise in store for her daughter, but also because the girl seemed so openly curious. A rare reaction indeed when in her presence. Her daughter's curiosity had been her husband's sole province for the longest time. It was an exciting experience to have her daughter's full and undivided attention.

With a flourish, Mrs. Gast opened the largest of the packages, dramatically throwing the box top to the floor. She pushed backed the protective tissue, and gestured for her daughter to come closer. The contents revealed, Aeris's eyes widened minutely as she glided over to examine what lay beneath the tissue. Her hand reached out slowly, her fingers brushing against the thick, unmistakable feel of real velvet. She drew the fabric out, marveling at the feel. It was a dress. A brand new dress from a department store and not just any store, it was from Paquin Milne of Midgar.

Paquin Milne was well known, as it was a division of ShinRa Incorporated, which of course belonged to Mr. Shinra. It offered a variety of goods but its most famous were its line of designer dresses. This particular dress she'd seen in the most recent issue of the Midgar Lady's Journal. The dress was from Poiret's fall collection, a tailor made traveling ensemble complete with bolero jacket and hat, all in pleasing light blues. Secretly, she had always dreamed of wearing such a frock, but she'd always been considered too young. Her mother had forced her to wear the shorter, ankle length dresses common for young girls. And even as well off as her family had been, a designer dress such as this was beyond their means. Clearly, now she was believed to be a lady, and therefore deserving of attire befitting not only her change of station, but her coming of age as well.

The room went silent with anticipation as Aeris drew her dress from the box. This quietude didn't last long. Her mother broke the silence promptly as she shrilly ordered the maids to help Aeris dress, snapping her kerchief in the air like a slave master's whip. Instantly, both Clara and Mariah went to work. They fussed over their charge with more than the usual amount of care, checking and rechecking every button, tie and fastening. Mrs. Gast supervised in her most unhelpful way, prattling on ceaselessly while she tried to instruct the maids, instruction that was, as usual, not appreciated, merely tolerated or outright ignored. Not that Mrs. Gast could tell. She was much too busy talking to care that no one paid attention to anything she said.

She was still talking when the maids finished. Too immersed in the sound of her own voice, she hadn't really noticed that the room had gone absurdly quiet. Clara and Mariah had stepped away to examine their work, and they gasped, staring in awe at their young charge. Aeris had always been considered a beauty, but never one of surpassing stature. She was a country girl through and through, full of the bright beauty and open bounty of the fields and forests.

Yet in these clothes, she looked like a real lady. So much so, that both Clara and Mariah had difficulty seeing the young tomboy they knew in the woman in front of them. Aeris felt self conscious under their gaze and turned to face her mother, who was still chattering on and on to an audience that didn't mark her. As she turned to address her daughter, her mouth dropped and any words that might have come forth at that moment caught in her throat. She lifted a trembling hand to her mouth as she stifled a cry, and tears came to her eyes.

Aeris was too afraid to voice the question on her lips, assuming she looked ridiculous. Her mother glided forward and took her daughter's hands in her own. With an obvious glowing of pride in her features, she smiled and held out her daughter's arms to get a better look at her. Touching the young lady's face, the tears that welled up fell.

She gave Aeris another watery smile, speaking with a voice strained by tears of pleasure, "Oh...how much you've grown. I've not noticed it till now. Before my very eyes my little girl has become a lady..."

Aeris looked at her with a baffled expression that defied reason itself. What reason in the world did she have to be confused? With a feigned sigh of exasperation, Mrs. Gast turned her daughter so that she could look at herself in the mirror. Aeris was greeted by a stranger.

The girl in the mirror blinked, her hand lifting up to touch the hair that could not possibly be hers. Indeed, it was hers, yet it wasn't. They'd curled it up and twisted it into several buns that were smartly pinned and layered over each other so that not even a wisp of hair was loose, with the exception of her bangs. It was strange; she was so used to having it in a long braid that she felt oddly naked without its weight thumping against her back.

"How peculiar," she thought to herself, tilting her head as if it helped her comprehend the image the mirror reflected.

She didn't have a long time to contemplate this change, Miles, an elderly butler and their oldest servant, entered to inform them that Mr. Shinra's carriage had arrived. Her mother reacted to this new with her typical bluster, shouting and waving at the servants with the kind of overdramatic pomposity that'd put the greatest divas in the opera to shame. The room was soon set into a wild whirlwind of activity. Servants bustled in and out busily as they took luggage out to the carriage, which necessitated multiple trips. They moved so fast, Aeris could hardly tell who was coming and who was going. Even if she hadn't been tipped off by unsteady luggage in their hands, she wouldn't have much noticed. She was still transfixed by the girl in the mirror. The girl that was and wasn't her.

It was certainly her reflection, she was sure, yet it felt strange. Like she was looking at the wrong side of the glass somehow, reaching out, her hand met the mirror and she knew without a doubt what was reflected was real. It was really her. This was really happening. The words formed in her mind just as she touched the soft fabric of her dress, another reminder of her new reality. Her eyes widened in horror and shock as it all finally hit her. She was so absorbed in her own thoughts that she hadn't heard her mother calling her name repeatedly. Nothing registered until the older woman tugged sharply on her sleeve. Aeris spun around, wide eyed, and stared unseeingly at her mother.

"AERIS!" Her mother said sharply, her words trailing off as she took in her daughter's appearance. That the girl was distraught was no mystery, even as dense as Mrs. Gast could be sometimes, she could see this plainly. Concerned now, she spoke the girl's name more softly, "Aeris, Mr. Shinra is here..." She paused, before remarking gently, "Gracious, you've gone pale! Dear heart, are you quite all right?"

"No..." Aeris whispered as she shook her head, her voice slightly trembling.

For once in her life, Elmyra managed NOT to make a scene and took another's feelings into account. The girl had finally accepted what was happening to her and she was terrified. Elmyra understood all too well. She had reacted the same way when her father had announced to her at the tender age of sixteen that she'd be marrying some strange boy from across the sea. He'd arranged an alliance with Wutai through her, and she still remembered the cold trepidation that she felt as her wedding day approached. It had seemed so much like a death sentence. Aeris was feeling these same things, and Elmyra's heart went out to her. How could she not? She'd managed to escape her situation, but Aeris...Aeris could not and all because...Mrs. Gast refused to think on it a minute more. Her bad decisions were of the past. Now, it was her daughter that mattered and her daughter needed her, at long last.

She set a small hand on Aeris's shoulder and gave her a wistful smile. For a moment, just a moment, she wished that she could take this burden from her daughter but it was not to be. This was fate's hand and they had to take the cards as dealt. The younger girl turned to face her with tears in her eyes, held at bay but just barely.

"Momma...I'm scared."

Mrs. Gast's smile became more brittle as she took her daughter's hands in her own, squeezing them a bit as she gather the courage to speak. It was so hard. Aeris had called her 'Momma". The girl had never called her such a name. It had always been a secret desire of her heart to hear her daughter call her by that name. As former royalty, she was used to the formality of her position. She'd never really called her own mother anything but "Her Ladyship, My Mother". When she met and married Emmett, she had been so excited to hear "Momma" from the lips of her child. So eager to feel and live like a common person. Yet when the time came, her daughter never called her such. Aeris had no trouble coming up with the most absurd pet names and diminutives for her father but none for her mother. Ever since the girl was ten, she'd referred to Elmyra as either Mrs. Gast or Mother. She was so damned formal and it had firmly irked Elmyra to no end. But now, NOW the girl called her momma, just as she'd always wanted. It warmed and broke her heart in the same instant and Elmyra realized then just how much she'd miss her dear daughter.

She'd miss the girl, more than she'd ever know.

Words caught in her mouth as she looked at her daughter's wide, green eyes that were glassy with tears. Letting out a softly choked sigh, she gathered her daughter into her arms and embraced her tightly. Hesitantly, Aeris returned the gesture. They stood there for several minutes, holding each other tight while crying quietly, knowing this was their last moment together. Truly together as mother and daughter should be. Gentle words were giving and calming comfort, her mother pulled away sharply then, gazing at her daughter with suddenly stern eyes. She still clasped her daughter's hands tightly. Shaking them, she looked into Aeris's eyes deeply before she spoke with a finality that defied argument.

"You, my dear, have nothing in the world to fear, you hear me? You are my Wild Rose. Nothing can tame you. Nothing. You are a fine, strong girl, so much braver than I could have ever been or ever will be. You have faced head on what I ran away from and I am proud to call you daughter."

Aeris inhaled sharply, tears falling down her cheeks in soft waves.

"Momma..." She whispered, tipping her head down and squeezing her mother's hands, "I don't want to go. I don't want to leave you..."

Mrs. Gast had hoped to have a farewell free of tears and sorrow, but it, like many things, was not to be. She cupped her daughter's cheek, giving her a warm, but bittersweet smile, "My sweet, wild rose...I don't want you to leave either. I shall miss you dearly but such is the way of the world. Daughters grow up and leave their mothers, it is inevitable. Now, no more tears. We both must be brave now and soldier on. Wallowing in sorrow will get us nowhere."

She wiped away her daughter's tears, embracing her for what seemed like the final time. After a bit, both ladies composed themselves and strode out to meet Mr. Shinra's carriage. Both were rather shocked to come upon Mrs. Shinra in their pleasant foyer, rather than Mr. Shinra. There was a shared look of surprise on mother and daughter's face as they separately contemplated the meaning of this.

It was related to them, rather brusquely, that Mr. Shinra had business to attend to and could not come, sending his wife in his stead. This new development was received as well as it could be. The only spot of good news was that Mrs. Shinra had brought an escort with her, as a married lady of her public stature was not allowed to travel alone, for safety's sake. The young man that traveled with Mrs. Shinra was an old associate of Mr. Shinra's and a soldier. He was about the same age as Aeris herself, though perhaps a year or two older, and very handsome. In fact, Aeris could say that he was perhaps the handsomest man she'd ever seen.

"Lieutenant General Zachary Brannigan, at your service, Milady." He said smoothly, his bright blue eyes twinkling as he kissed her hand and bowed.

Aeris flushed at the dark haired soldier's actions almost immediately. She'd never been treated with such gentility before, by a young man anyway. Most of them were rude and forward, fawning over her with the expectation that she'd enjoy the attention. Mr. Brannigan was quite the opposite. He was polite, sophisticated but rough enough around the edges for a soldier and she liked him almost immediately. He had apparently registered this fact, flirting with her in such a way that she felt comfortable, yet flustered. She found herself, for the first time in her life, at a loss for words in the presence of a young man.

After the introductions were made, her mother invited them all into the sitting room for tea and quiet conversation. The carriage had to be loaded and it would be quite a wait before it'd be ready. Twenty to thirty minutes were spent amiably in the sitting room. The young Lieutenant General was a breath of fresh air and even managed to make Mrs. Shinra's presence bearable. Soon, they were called to board the carriage. Mr. Brannigan and Mrs. Shinra went ahead, allowing Mrs. Gast and her daughter a moment to themselves, so that they could say their goodbyes privately. A move that greatly surprised Aeris.

Her last moments in her home would be engraved into her memory. It was a rather tearful but oddly uplifting event. Her mother had arranged for the whole staff to come out and bid her farewell. It was an unusual move, but an important one.

The entire staff of Pembroke was quite fond of the Young Miss, as they often referred to her. Many of the long time staff had lived in houses with children who were spoiled rotten by their parents, so much so that the children had a sense of entitlement, acting as if the whole world owed them a debt. They, like their parents, believe the sun and moon revolved around them, and that everything should stop if they willed it. But not Miss Aeris. She was a sweet and even tempered lady, who treated each and every one of them like regular people, not just servants. It was rare to find a member of the upper class willing to treat their servants well and with such respect as Miss Aeris did.

Everyone from the lowest cook to Miles, the head butler, had chipped in to buy their young mistress a going away present. It was a way for them to show their appreciation to her for all the kindness she'd shown to them over the years. With as great a ceremony as possible, Clara and Mariah presented to her their gifts, humbly wrapped in plain, red paper. Aeris opened them slowly and cried for joy.

They'd bought her a brand new copy of "Songs of Silence". It was a remarkable volume, written by Sir William Blake, a popular poet and artist. She'd read her last copy so much that it had fallen apart and she hadn't the time to replace it before she left. Holding it to her breast, she tearfully thanked all of them before opening the last package. Inside, she found a several sheaves of sheet music for the piano. Mariah was quite proud of that one. She'd gone to the store herself and requested the young clerk at the counter to get her the most difficult classical selections he could find. Miss Aeris had often complained that all the sheet music she had was too easy and from artists that were far too contemporary for her tastes. With a grin, Mariah realized she had succeeded as her mistress beamed as she paged through them.

To their ears, Miss Aeris was a superlative musician and they'd greatly miss the soft sound of their mistress playing a lilting sonata or a lively concerto as it echoed down the halls while they worked. Their gift was not for their mistress alone, but for her new servants as well. None wanted to imagine a world without her music in it and even if they'd never hear it again, they all could be comforted with the thought that someone, somewhere was.

Slowly, each servant stepped forward and received a single hug and kiss goodbye. So rare was such an event, that not a single person walked away from it with dry eyes. The servants then receded into the background to allow Mother and Daughter their final moments together alone.

There was solemn silence for several tense moments. Neither woman trusted themselves to say anything, their voices were too unsure and their emotions too close to the surface. Words would only mar the moment anyway, and would lead to more useless tears. At this point, no amount of tears or sorrow could change the immutable fact that Aeris was leaving, never to see her mother again.

A lump formed in Aeris's throat as she watched her mother pull away and wordlessly place a box she'd taken from her pocket into her hands. Lips trembling, she looked at the box before hesitantly opening it. She gasped as she pulled out a delicate silver chain. From the chain hung an equally delicate pendant, which was audaciously simple for something that belonged to her mother. The pendant was nothing more than a deceptively plain, yet elegant setting from which a clear jewel hung. The jewel itself need no decoration, it was beautiful enough on its own. It was clear and shaped like a perfect tear drop frozen in space and when the light hit it just right, it seemed to glow.

Aeris knew what it was almost immediately. Her face paled as she gaped at her mother. This was her mother's heirloom. The only thing her family had allowed her to keep. The White Materia.

There were many different kinds of materia that had been mined from the earth. Each kind had been categorized in terms of its usefulness. Before the advent of synthetic mako, materia had to be mined by hand. But now, it was created in a lab, as natural mako had to be conserved. Most homes were being converted to electricity nowadays, and there were always the new modes of travel to take into account. Most ocean liners and airships ran on natural mako. Yet, there was still a need for refined materia and materia could only be refined from mako.

Her uncle had come up with the solution and many had breathed a collective sigh of relief. Now hospitals wouldn't be without their curative materia and the world's military wouldn't be without their greatest weapons. Yes, there was quite a bit of materia to go around, if you were rich enough. Even synthetic materia was too costly for the average man or woman to afford. Natural materia was even more expensive as it was becoming increasingly more difficult to find. Most mako mines had been closed up or converted into mako reactors.

Even during the booming years when mako was first pulled from the earth and refined, natural materia was a rarity. And now it was coveted, because such raw materia was much more powerful than any synthetic could ever be. Despite this, materia, whether synthetic or natural, always had some kind of impurities within it. This is evidenced by the wide varieties of color exhibited by these singularly rare gems. Each piece of materia is slightly different from the next, even if their function is the same. The more impurities, the darker the color and the darker the color, the less potent the materia becomes. There were very few examples of truly pure materia. In fact, there was only one example of truly pure materia in the entire world, and she held it in the palm of her hand.

"Mother...I can't..." Aeris whispered, her voice tightened with the futile effort of holding back her tears.

Mrs. Gast didn't look at her daughter, instead, she straightened her jacket as she spoke quietly, "Yes, you can and you will."

Aeris sobbed a protest, "But..."

"I'll have none of that!"

Aeris started at the sharpness in her mother's tone. Looking into the older woman's eyes, she saw a fire there that she'd never seen before. She'd known her mother to be of royal lineage but she'd never really believed it, until now. There was an air of imperial pride in her bearing that she lacked before. She'd seemed to grow taller and more imposing in mere seconds. Aeris immediately ceased her sobbing and stared at her mother quietly. Her mother's face softened as she took the necklace from her daughter. Carefully, Mrs. Gast stood behind her and fastened the necklace, returning to face her daughter once the deed was done.

Sighing heavily, Mrs. Gast looked her daughter straight in the eye, "My mother gave this to me when I was just a bit younger than you are now. It was a great honor to wear it. My first formal ball, I had that necklace on. And the day I met your father...it's brought me good luck. It is only fair that I give it you, so it brings you good luck...so that you'll look at it and remember me." She said, throat choked with emotion, "I shall miss you so much..."

Aeris had no words at her disposal and opted instead to fiercely embrace her mother. Mother and daughter held each other, weeping harshly and uncontrollably. They would have stayed thusly had not a small cough interrupted their melancholic reverie. It was the young Lieutenant General who'd coughed, gazing at both women with abashed silence at having interrupted such an intimate moment.

"Ladies, it is time." He said quietly.

Both ladies nodded. Mrs. Gast helped her daughter compose herself, finding some deep well of reserve within her, that kept her from crying for the sake of her daughter. She smoothed Aeris's dress and tucked away the pendant she'd given her, all dry eyed. Her calm helped Aeris to feel more at ease, though no less sorrowful. Mrs. Gast's last act as her mother was to help Aeris pin her hat on. Tugging at her daughter's sleeve, she observed her and finding nothing askew, she stood back and gave her a teary smile. Aeris replied in kind, squeezing her mother's hand one last time before following the Lieutenant General out. Her mother trailed behind, watching the young girl turned woman enter the carriage that was to take her away. Aeris could feel her mother's gaze at her back and longed to turn around, but she didn't dare.

She didn't mind so much that Lieutenant General Brannigan had seen her cry, but Mrs. Shinra was an entirely different matter. The woman would no doubt think it unseemly to show such visible emotion in public. So, she kept her eyes firmly forward, fixing them ahead with as cold an expression as she could muster. She wouldn't show weakness in front of that woman. Nothing was said as she entered the carriage, and this silence continued as they pulled out of the drive. Aeris had kept her promise to herself, only faltering just a little. She did turn back to look out the back window of the carriage. Smiling mournfully, she gave a little wave to her mother's retreating form. Her mother gave a wave back and Aeris had to turn away. She closed her eyes and committed that last glimpse of her home to memory. And when she opened her eyes once more, she was greeted by solemn silence and a terse drive to a city she'd only ever visited once before, when she was very young.

Aeris watched the trees as they passed, thoughts of her uncertain future whisking past her...clattering on her heels as fast as her carriage could carry her.

* * *

To comply with the new rules, any author's notes for this and future chapters will be kept at my community writing journal--Yume Jinju at livejoural. There's a link for this community in my profile.

--Thanks, Noa


	3. From the Thorn Bush

Transition from one situation to another is always a difficult thing. Then again, what in life is ever easy? Life is full of trials and tribulations and as human beings it is our burden to bear to suffer these tests of our spirit. For one young country girl, such a transition was occurring and she was finding it increasingly hard to adapt. It was bad enough to move to a large, noisy and unfamiliar city, but add to that all the additional pressures of learning all the rules of her new station...well, it was quite unbearable.

Aeris supposed there were a great many other circumstances she could find herself in that would be far more deplorable, but for the moment, she was content to wallow in self-pity. The last four weeks had been...unpleasant, if she had to be polite about it and she did _have to be polite about it_. In fact, she'd done nothing but be polite about most everything and it was fairly getting on her nerves. Every false smile she had to put on. Every single time she had to wave away a casual insult, she had to simultaneously reign in her desire to lunge across the table and throttle the object of her irritation. A most unladylike reaction but she couldn't help it. She'd never had to stand by and take such abuse. Now she had to and to make matters worse, she had to appear gracious and ladylike, taking it all with a polite little smile and a laugh behind a gloved hand.

It had come to her attention that her true heritage had been hidden, though her origins weren't. They'd taken away her last name, yet they allowed all to know where she'd spent the majority of her years. Now she shared the same surname as the Queen herself. She ceased to be Lady Aeris Gast and from the moment she set foot in Midgar, she became Her Grace, The Grand Duchess of All Nibelheim, Lady Aeris Gainsborough. Looking in the mirror from time to time, she had to admit with all the finery they stuffed her into, she surely did look like a Grand Duchess, though she didn't quite feel like one. No one really treated her like one and it was most aggravating.

The last four weeks, she'd been coached mercilessly on every sort of etiquette under the sun. Really, she had no idea exactly how many different kinds there were. There was formal and informal dinner etiquette, which differed from lunch etiquette. There was tea etiquette. And etiquette regarding letter writing and etiquette on how to receive visitors...all depending on whether you were there or not. There was etiquette for dancing, whether it was an informal gathering amongst family in the parlor or if you were attending one of the large, fancy balls or galas that were held. There was extra etiquette for her to learn for her own gala, because she was the party to be honored and the perceived hostess...so she had to learn a whole set of rules for that. Oh, and she almost forgot to include all the protocols regarding different ranks of people and how to address them, depending on her station and theirs. Lucky for her, there were few that actually outranked her, so she could be a civilly haughty as she deemed fit to be, which brought her no joy whatsoever.

There were rules on top of rules and Aeris was having a terrible time keeping them all straight. It didn't help that all her teachers were frightfully rude and seemingly exasperated with her at all times. The presence of Mrs. Shinra only made things worse, as she was a constant source of irritation. Honestly, she was beginning to think the horrid woman was haunting her. She followed her around like a vaporous apparition, constantly berating her every moment as if she had eyes planted in the walls themselves. Aeris was tired of the endless criticism. Her mother had always nagged at her for her tomboyish-ness, but never to this degree. She had always known she had flaws, but where she had come from, not many were quick to point it out. Or...if they did, it always somehow transformed into a compliment. Yes, she climbed trees and was quick with her opinion, but most people back home liked that about her.

Here, it made her nothing short of a social pariah. It was a flaw to either be hidden or fixed. Less than a week ago, Mrs. Shinra had berated her for disagreeing with one of her young suitors when he came to call.

Honestly, Aeris couldn't help herself. The young lord in question was a rather naive lad who'd come all the way from Wutai to court her. Lord Li Xiu Tseng was the son of an important daimyo in his home country and had been invited by the Queen herself in hopes of securing a treaty between Wutai and the Empire. After yesterday, Aeris was quite sure any possible hope for a treaty inducing marriage had gone up in a cloud of purple and blue smoke.

Young Master Li had made a comment regarding the recent upheaval in Cosairé, a country located southwest of Nibelheim. Being a desert country, Cosairé was known to have many disputes over the fertile portions of land that were sparsely scattered throughout the country. It was known as the Powder Keg of the West, as the various leaders and factions inside the country had tentative relations with each other at best. Recently, the two largest factions had been at odds; the Aman, a more peaceful tribe in central Cosairé which held their capital city and the Tsuni, often called the Turks by those ignorant of worldly events. It was this exact mistake that the young prince made and Aeris had taken it upon herself to gently correct him. Apparently it was so upsetting, that he immediately stood and left in a bit of huff.

Later, Mrs. Shinra had dragged her over the coals for the better part of two hours. The young Daimyo Li was one of their most promising choices for her future husband, as a marriage between Wutai and the Empire would create a powerful alliance between the two countries. Aeris, better than anyone, understood this, for she was a girl who was knowledgeable of world events. She knew very well that the Empire was on the verge of a full on confrontation with Wutai, and she'd tried her very best to impress the young lord. Despite the fact that he was overbearing and positively the most insufferable person she'd ever met.

His views on the roles of women were particularly archaic and downright insulting. Women, in his view, ought to be seen and not heard. Well, she'd never held with THAT notion and while women weren't particularly cherished in her own culture, they were certainly held with more respect than Wutanese ladies. Lord Li spoke about how women in his country never spoke to a man unless asked a question. They always walked three steps behind their husbands, brothers and fathers, even if they held the same rank as their male counterparts. And if a woman didn't hold to these rules, he told her that they'd be beaten most viciously, often in the public square. Interestingly enough, he'd told her that just after she'd corrected him before he'd stormed out of the sitting room, face turning several shades of red.

Aeris couldn't find it in herself to care. The very idea of treating any person in such a manner, it was barbaric. She'd politely endured such pronouncements for several days. By the night of her outburst, she had genuinely had enough. Alliance or no alliance, she would NOT be married to such a man and perhaps, subconsciously, she'd sabotaged her chances with him. Correction, she HAD sabotaged any chance she had with the Wutanese Lord. She'd just done it with such finesse that Mrs. Shinra couldn't rightly complain that she HAD done it on purpose.

All those years avoiding the marriage proposals of the simple country lords in Winhill had prepared her and she'd found that the cosmopolitan gentlemen of the city might put on a fancier veneer, but they were no different than their country cousins.

Mr. Shinra had mentioned that her intended would be picked from a number of suitable suitors and that she would have no choice in the matter. He also mentioned that they would be sure to pick someone she got on with at least somewhat well. As the possibility of an annulment in the event of an ill advised choice in marriage partner would be more disastrous than an outright refusal.

So, she had no choice in who they would pick but she could make sure of who they would NOT pick or so she hoped. However, this was not to be as Mrs. Shinra was exceptionally good at spotting a half truth. She knew all along that Aeris had purposely aggravated the Wutanese lord and she was NOT happy about it. After the incident she'd gotten an almost daily lecture on the mannerly behavior of a young woman who was inclined to marry. Mrs. Shinra had taken the time to remind her--ad infinitum-- of her previously precarious position and had soundly taken her to task for her apparent ingratitude.

Despite this, there was a bright patch when she'd met a young lord from the country that had gotten her in such trouble. Indeed, he was a Cosairé and a prince to boot. Fu'ad Hadi il Fayed was the eldest son of the current leader of the Aman though most referred to his as Frederick, as they couldn't pronounce his real name. She had spent a marvelous afternoon with him discussing all sorts of things. He'd taken a shine to her because she could speak his native tongue fluently. They had a good laugh about her earlier faux pas with the Wutai lord, which led to an interesting discussion regarding cultural misconceptions and the mispronunciation of foreign terms.

It was the only time she could say that she was even remotely content and she had to say, that if Prince Fayed were to be chosen, she would have no reservations about marrying him. As it was, there was little hope of that, as both of them had discussed. He was here merely for appearances sake. It was more likely that he'd marry a princess from his own land, though he mentioned he was quite glad he'd agreed to attend. She too, doubted that Fayed would be her match as the Empire wouldn't gain much from an alliance with the Aman. Surely, they had stood by their side in the recent rebellion, but the Cosairé had nothing the empire needed...at the moment anyway, and there were far more prosperous choices they could make.

It was a sad fact, indeed, though both of them agreed to continue to write to each other...because though marriage was unlikely, friendship was already assured. This bright spot had gotten her through the more disagreeable moments, but after a bit the high of it faded and she was left feeling as badly as she had before.

She didn't at all like being treated like a prized bauble. She didn't like the avaricious faces of all the boorish and unappealing lords who came to beg for her hand, merely because she was a relation to the Queen and they'd benefit by their association with her.

According to Mrs. Shinra, she had to endure it all and endure it gracefully, for if she were to gain a reputation for being stubborn or shrewish, it would make her harder to marry off. Instead of having her pick of the best of the best, she would most likely have to settle for whoever dared to take her hand.

And Mrs. Shinra did NOT intend for her to have to settle. She had told Aeris in no uncertain terms, she would get her the best husband come hell or high water.

It was a most intimidating display and after her dressing down, Aeris had found that any fire she tried to summon to fight against her fate had died. And so, the last four weeks had been perhaps the worst of her life. She'd endured the taunts of the other young ladies, who pretended to be her friends and yet they didn't hesitate to mention her country manners, especially in company. She had to stomach pompous young lords and industrial tycoons, who had no interest in her as a person and made jokes about taming that fiery spirit of hers...as if she were some beast of burden to be broken. Worst of all, she had to endure the never-ending glares of Mrs. Shinra, who now watched every move she made like a hawk, taking her to task for any mistake made.

Yesterday, she'd used the wrong fork. The day before, she stood up before her gentleman caller had entered the room. The day before that, she'd inappropriately addressed one of her guests at brunch. Last week she'd worn heavy silk evening gloves to an informal mid-afternoon tea social. The week before that, she had forgotten to bring her parasol out with her while strolling in the park.

The list was endless. She began to wonder if she could do anything right. The answer seemed to be a resounding no. And what was even more aggravating was that they'd thrown the timetable off again. They'd said that only two weeks were to be spent on the intricacies of etiquette and the protocols of position, but it had been four. Four weeks of this! It was unbearable. When she'd mentioned it to Mrs. Shinra, she merely waved it off, explaining that it seemed that she needed quite a bit more preparation than previously believed, which was a polite way of saying that Mrs. Shinra thought her to be a dull, country bumpkin with all the social skills of a spasmodic rat.

Consequently, Aeris was feeling more than just a little frustrated. She wanted to cry and often did in the privacy of her own room. Even that brought her no comfort. The rooms they'd given her were spacious but so cold. She felt as if she was living in a museum and she was often afraid to touch anything, lest she break it. To top it off, even the maids that were assigned to her seemed to resent her very presence. Not that they'd said anything. Well, in actuality, that was the problem. Neither of them said anything, even when she'd attempted conversation. She was so used to speaking freely with the help, that she could hardly understand why they looked at her with strange coldness when she tried.

Well, one of them seemed disposed to talking with her but was quickly silenced by the other maid with a glare. She'd only asked their names, for heaven's sake! The rude, glaring maid had answered curtly that her name was Brighid and the other girl was called Natalie. After that, not a word was said and she was forced to endure a long, awkward period of obtuse silence while they did her hair and helped her dress.

Later that night, she was again chided by Mrs. Shinra about her behavior. Apparently, talking with servants was verboten and she had to curse her own handmaids, as one of them had obviously informed Mrs. Shinra of her blunder. Apparently, the rude young ladies she spent most every afternoon with were the appropriate choices for future confidantes, rather than her own handmaidens. It made no sense.

So it was that Aeris found herself in an unfamiliar city, with unfamiliar routines and unfamiliar faces that were anything but friendly and welcoming. She had no confidantes. No safe place to retreat to. There was nothing but her cold, empty room and the unendurable torment that she was beginning to believe would be everlasting and eternal.

The only thing that made any sense in her topsy-turvy universe was the two hours she was allowed to herself to do anything she pleased. And the only thing she did that pleased her was a daily ride on one of the many chocobos kept in the Royal Midgardian Stables. Sadly, she hadn't been able to keep her own dear Mary Sue, but a chocobo had been assigned for her by the Queen herself. She was a lovely Gongagan blue named Hermia, who seemed to take to Aeris almost instantly.

Every morning since she'd gotten here, Aeris had gotten up early for a ride around the smallish equestrian arena near the stables. Her bird was relatively untrained and she had found it oddly soothing to guide it over the various obstacles in the arena. Gongagan blues weren't known for their speed, but they were strong birds with a fair amount of endurance. _And._..they were excellent jumpers with no fear of water, unlike Mary Sue, who was an Arcadian Grassland yellow. Yellows were quite fast, but tended to balk when they came to water hazards which had been a constant source of irritation for Aeris. She couldn't count how many times she'd been dumped into the drink because Mary Sue refused to follow her command. It was refreshing to have a bird that easily glided over the water without hesitation. Hermia could be forgiven any other faults for that one fact.

On this very pleasant late winter morning, she found herself once again riding in a pathetic attempt to relax her ravaged nerves. For the most part it was working. Last night, she'd almost done well and had received her first quasi-compliment from Mrs. Shinra...ever. She had been told she'd "fared passably" and if only she could manage to remember what fork to use and when, she could almost pull off the impression that she was an actual lady. Mrs. Shinra didn't seem to notice that Aeris hadn't taken kindly to her "compliment" and if she had, Aeris could imagine that she'd be befuddled by her reaction.

Aeris sighed as she settled on her mount, looking out over the obstacle course with glazed, unfocused eyes. The only reason she'd even passed through as well as she had last night was because she'd just given up. She had been quiet and passive, barely listening to what everyone was talking about. Aeris had played the part of a living porcelain doll. She only spoke when addressed directly or if she did take the initiative to comment, it was always short and to the point...and she was always careful not to even hint at an opinion that could be taken as personal. After all, a perfect lady let others think for her. It made her blood boil and her heart wail. She wasn't meant to be entrapped in like this. She was meant to be free and now that she could finally see the bars of the cage surrounding her it was hard to suppress the desire to knock against them.

Focusing, her eyes narrowed and she spurred her mount. The bird lurched forward into a full gallop, racing for the first fence she'd directed it towards. Mrs. Shinra hadn't been happy when she had found out exactly what it was she'd been doing with her free time. Chocobo riding wasn't something most young noblewomen did AND _if_ they did, they always rode sidesaddle, doing neat little tricks on the dressing course. They never rode fast. They always rode slow and steady, for a young lady shouldn't be desirous of excitement.

With the heavy footfalls of her mount in her ears, she took her crop and slapped the animal's side to make it go faster. The world seemed to warp around her as she leaned forward and loosened its reins as she prepared for the jump. For a moment, she felt the giddying sensation of weightlessness as the bird cleared its first fence. Going into a sort of freefall before it hit the ground and continued on to the second fence. Her entire body was juddered from the force of the landing causing Aeris to laugh merrily, her eyes focused on the next jump and the one after that.

Yes, Mrs. Shinra had thrown quite the fit when she found out what she intended to do for those two free hours she was allowed. A Duchess in training that rode like a man on the jumping course no less! It was positively scandalous. For the first time since she'd gotten here, Aeris stood up for herself and she would not back down. Mrs. Shinra had fought back the entire time and had threatened to inform the Queen. Aeris had countered back, telling her to go and do just that. She didn't rightly care as she would have one thing all her own if she had to kill someone to do it.

So, she'd been given her two hours and her liberty. The only problem was, Mrs. Shinra had insisted she take these two hours in the early, early morning, thinking Aeris was like most young ladies. Normal young women of even minor birth didn't get up before ten o'clock. Only servants and maids got up before then, noblewomen had no reason to be up so early. Most women like this even lazed around for several hours before even getting dressed, not making a formal appearance until somewhere mid-afternoon.

Not Aeris. She'd always gotten up at the crack of dawn. So she wasn't unduly surprised at all when she'd been informed that she would have to wake at six in the morning in order to go for her scheduled riding time at the stables at six thirty. She supposed it was Mrs. Shinra's intention to discourage her from riding and it wouldn't work.

Nailing the next jump, Aeris let out a second, much wilder laugh as her cheeks reddened from the cold and the exertion. She spurred her mount on faster and faster, letting the last few weeks worth of stress and tension wash over and away from her. If anyone had seen her at that moment, she looked so wild and untamable. She looked free, with her long braid bouncing haphazardly behind her, only held in place by the soft velvet riding hat she wore. If she'd known that someone HAD been watching her, perhaps she would have comported herself in a more ladylike fashion but she didn't know anyone had been watching and so, she didn't. As it was, she made quite a spectacle of herself, a charmingly beautiful spectacle, but a spectacle none-the-less.

Tears almost threatened to form but somehow she held them at bay, urging the bird on even faster. The thunderous sound of its feet as it hit the ground resounded in her ears, only matched in intensity by the wind as it rushed past her. She felt the bird tense underneath her as it prepared to jump once more and she hunkered down in anticipation. Gravity was left behind and in that moment she truly believed she could have touched the sky if she had wanted. Her braid and her clothes lifted up behind her, following the pull of gravity and the ever constant wind brought by the breathtaking activity she was engaged in. The chocobo hit the ground with a solid thud, nailing the jump with ease before it ran on. She delighted in the feel of her long braid hitting her back once more. It was as if nothing at all had changed, like she'd turned the pages of time backward and she was home again.

And as the bird went faster and the jumps became higher, the strange sense of giddy sorrow overwhelmed her. With a watery smile, she brutally tugged her hat off her head, throwing it as an offering to the wind. It floated behind her and settled on the earth, forgotten and unwanted. She again urged the bird on faster, pushing it to its limits. She wanted to go faster, she needed to. It was almost like flying, what she was doing now. And if she could fly...maybe she could be free.

It was absurd, but undeniably tempting.

She couldn't take the restrictions any longer. If she had to hold her tongue one more time, she'd just explode. Longing, needing to be free, to have an emotional release of some kind, any kind, was necessary now. She couldn't hold it in. Frustrated, she tugged and pulled on her hair while simultaneously trying to guide the bird with her other hand. Her gloved fingers worked at the black silk ribbons that held her braid together and she wasn't satisfied until she'd torn them off. They slipped from her fingers and she let them fall. The feeling was nothing sort of glorious.

Her hair was now completely unbound and dancing wildly behind her, the large ringlets bouncing prettily with every movement made. Another jump and her hair cascaded around her. Aeris could only inhale deeply, taking it all in as she closed her eyes, finally noticing that she had been crying. Or perhaps she'd just been laughing too hard. Her thoughts and actions were so distracted that she didn't notice a blind turn that the bird had hesitated on before. Bird and rider followed the sharp curve of the course and just as she opened her eyes, she noticed the bird slowing. Alarmed, she tried to compensate for her lack of foresight much too late. The bird came to an abrupt and hasty halt, jerking her forward so harshly that she lost her balance and fell off.

Tumbling to the ground, she covered her head as she tumbled over and over again. The world was a whirling mass of blurred grays and browns coming to a sudden and crystal clear stop. She laid there for several minutes, just staring at the ground numbly, her breaths coming in slow and sharp.

It had been exhilarating. All of it.

Dizzily, she lifted her head and then her body, gazing out at the world that surrounded her. Lifting a hand up, she massaged her neck and closed her eyes. Something nudged her then, and she looked up at the chocobo that was looking right back at her. It trilled softly as it gently nudged her arm again. Aeris couldn't help but smile, ruffling the feathers on top of its head as a way of demonstrating that there were no hard feelings. Moments later, a stable-hand arrived. Without even being asked, he helped her up and guided both her and the bird back to the stables.

It had been routine for her to groom her own bird after her ride. To her, it had always been a way of building trust between man and beast. After all, how could an animal trust someone who displayed no kindness to it? The grooming at the end of the ride was her way of thanking the animal for all its hard work and patience. Even this routine of hers had been scrutinized, as ladies weren't supposed to groom their own mounts. That's what they paid the stable-hands for.

It was at worst, arrogantly degrading and at best just plain ridiculous.

For only the second time in the four weeks she'd been here, she used her position as a means of getting her way. So, she was allowed to groom her own mount and there was nary a soul in the entire stable who would tell her otherwise.

Aeris allowed herself to be led and settled into her comfortable routine once they'd reached Hermia's stall. She set about carefully clipping its wings as it hadn't been done in quite some time. It was a rather tedious task that required all her attention and after a period of several minutes, it was over and done. Yet it had seemed to take forever. Mostly because she'd accidentally cut a little too close on one feather and it had begun to bleed a bit. The bird, of course, became rather alarmed at this turn of events and had become upset.

She'd calmed it down, but even now she could tell dear Hermia was still a bit overwrought by the ordeal. It had been an adventurous morning to be sure. Holding the bird firmly by the bridle, she gently petted its beak whilst making soft cooing sounds that were meant to comfort it. The bird responded nicely, and was soon quite docile. Smiling, Aeris would have continued her ministrations but motion from just outside the stable caught her eye. Always curious, she let go of her bird, petting it distractedly before she stepped out to see whatever it was she thought she saw.

Her eyes were drawn to a figure that walked alongside a very large and impressive looking chocobo. If she had noticed someone watching her while she rode, she would have known it had been that very figure that retreated from her. Whether her luck on this matter was very bad or very good, not a one could say. Whichever it was, she hadn't noticed she'd been watched by the very person she now watched so intently.

Narrowing her eyes, she found herself, almost against her own will, walking forward to follow him. The figure was obscured by the darkness of the stable and she found herself squinting in hopes that somehow it'd make her sight keener. Despite her handicap, she noticed several things about this mystery figure immediately. One, he was quite tall. Two, he had very long hair, an unusual trait in young men these days, especially young men who lived in the city. Short hair was de rigueur in high society.

And this mystery figure had to be a noble or some other wellborn person to have a bird housed at these stables, which led to the third thing she'd noticed about him. The bird he was guiding. It was a Corsairé Thoroughbred...which meant he had to be royalty of some kind. Those birds weren't given out to just anyone, she knew this for certain as she'd conversed about Thoroughbreds quite extensively with Prince Fayed. His father would never let a single bird out of his country without his say so.

So...whoever that was had to be someone quite important indeed.

She was startled by the sheer amount of curiosity this fact aroused within her. Who was this man? Aeris was startled by her own thoughts and even more startled as the figure in front of her gracefully mounted his chocobo in one, single smooth motion. And with the same grace, he nudged it forward and it responded, breaking into a fluid run without the slightest hesitation. Her eyes went wide and for reasons that were beyond ever her own reckoning, she ran forward. Standing just inside the entrance to the arena, she watched the mystery figure as he took the first jump.

Her eyes widened as she noted the fourth and final trait of this mystery man. His hair was not only long but of the most unusual color she'd ever seen on a young person. For a moment, she had almost believed she'd been dreaming when she noted it. His hair...was silver and she had to look twice to make sure she was correct in this assumption. She even rubbed her eyes. But when she opened them again, she could still see him quite clearly. He was no doubt a young man, for his face showed no signs of age at all but his hair was undoubtedly silver. A pale silver, like newly polished dinnerware. She'd never seen the like and couldn't help but stare at him openly as he rounded another corner, completely oblivious to her presence.

Aeris was not quite sure how long she stared like this. Surely, her open mouth had gathered more than its share of flies watching the young man's turn around the course, his silver hair darting behind him like a school of fish. She barely noticed the commotion of one of her handmaids buzzing behind her. Not until she was shook severely from her pointless staring.

"Your Grace, we've been looking all over for you," the young maid gasped, trying desperately to catch her breath in-between words.

Aeris shook her head and stared at the maid blankly as her attention was now split between this new development and the man she'd been watching.

"Your Grace, begging your pardon, but you're late..." the maid said, rather exasperatedly.

"Yes, Brighid," Aeris said, before realizing her answer wasn't an answer at all, "Yes, I'm sorry, what...late for what?"

"For your afternoon appointment," Brighid supplied for her, becoming a bit annoyed when she saw the look of incomprehension on her lady's face.

"But it's so early."

"Yes, Your Grace, but...you are in quite a state...and...well..." Brighid said, trailing off as she gestured up and down in clear and uncomfortable observation of her mistress's condition.

Aeris took this opportunity to look down at herself and to her horror found out that she was quite disheveled. The light grey riding pants and the dark suit coat that went with it were soiled, covered in dirt and hay and god knew what. Her hair was loose and no doubt looked a fright. Sighing, she'd have to be bathed and dressing always seemed to take an eternity.

Aeris stopped quite suddenly, a rather unlikely idea popping into her head. Brighid had served at this location for quite some time. She'd heard the maid not two days ago complaining about it under her breath. Perhaps she'd know who the young man was. Not that it mattered to her...but she was curious. And just before they walked away, she asked her maid that very question.

Brighid glanced briefly out into the arena, and answered blandly, "Oh, him?"

"Yes, him," Aeris replied, clearly aggravated by her maid's continual insolence. Had she been a nastier person, she'd have mentioned it to Mrs. Shinra but she didn't. No one deserved such a fearful punishment.

The maid smiled enigmatically, pulling out a calling card from her pocket.

"I believe you'll be meeting him this afternoon, Your Grace. That is...if we can get you cleaned up and dressed in time..."

Aeris took the card and gave her maid a reproachful look, before turning her attention to the card. It was a half a page of useless pleasantries but the only thing that held her attention was the name at the bottom.

_Il Nobile Conti Dei di Genoa, General S. Valentine de Medici_.

She studied the card intently as she felt her hand being tugged by her maid. And as she let herself be led away, she could only wonder why it was that name seemed so familiar.

* * *

A/N--_Il Nobile Conti Dei_--a formal Italian title for an heir or successor to the title of Count, before said title is granted. 


End file.
